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Stephen Anderton: Liven up your window box with verbenas, petunias and ivy

The right trailing plants are the key to a beautiful display
White petunias, bacopa, trailing lobelia, blue lobelia and pink fuchsia. The foliage is Helichrysum petiolatum
White petunias, bacopa, trailing lobelia, blue lobelia and pink fuchsia. The foliage is Helichrysum petiolatum
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If you ask me, trailing plants are always the most important element in window boxes. They tend to be the focus of attention and the thing you see the most. Of course, you need upright plants as well, but from inside the house you will always see the poorer, shadier side of upright plants, while their flowers and even foliage do best on the outer sunnier side. For this reason, it’s really worthwhile making the most of those trailing plants, but which are the best ones to look out for as you browse through the bedding plants this year?

Flowers
There’s a big difference between plants that arch and generously droop, such as fuchsias and begonias, and flowers that really do trail downwards, so check